Fishhook making machine



Oct. 19, 1948. w, J [35 w T ETAL 2,451,477

FISHHOOK MAKING MACHINE Filed Sept. 19, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 lnuenmr's K William J. Dewitt Herbert A. Corbett By zizeir'A ttorney 3 Sheets-Sheet? l l I I Oct. 19, 1948. w. J. DE wrr'r ETAL FISHHOOK MAKING MACHINE Filed Sept. 19, 1945 lnven tors William J Dewitt Herbert A. Corbett. B

y their A ttorne Oct. 19, 1948. w. J. DE wrr'r ET AL 2,451,477

FISHHOOK MAKING MACHINE Filed Sept. 19, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Inventor's Wilt Lam J Dewitt Herbert A.C0rbett F g 2/ y zfzgirAttorne Patented Oct. 19, 1948 FISHHOOK MAKING MACHINE William J. De Witt and Herbert A. Corbett, Au-

burn, N. Y., assignors to Shoe Form 00. Inc, Auburn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 19, 1945, Serial No. 617,232

8 Claims.

This invention relates to fishhook making machines and more particularly to fishhook making machines of the automatic type, such as illus trated 'in United States Letters Patent No. 2,379,886, granted July 10, 1945, upon application filed in the names of DeWitt, Ott and Runk.

Machines of the type referred to commonly comprise a turret carrying a plurality of blank holding chucks, which are successively advanced into operative relation to mechanisms for performing various operations upon the blanks to produce fishhooks. It is an object of the present invention to provide, in machines of the type referred to, improved eyeing mechanism,

To this end and illustrated, there is provided a die having a recess, and a plurality of forming tools successively operable partially to force the butt end of the blank into the recess, to bend the extreme end of the blank about a stud carried by one of the tools, and to complete the eye by forcing the bent portion completely around the stud. Preferably, and as shown, mechanism is provided for relieving the pressure upon that portion of the blank located in the recess and operable prior to the movement of the blank from the die after the eyeing operation is completed, thus to facilitate removal of the eye from the stud about which it was formed. This mechanism is advantageous in that it facilitates the rapid formation of eyes on fishhook blanks, and contributes to the uniformity and excellent quality of the finished hooks.

These and other features of the invention are disclosed in the following specification and in the accompanying drawings, and are pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an automatic fishhook making machine showing a portion of a turret and eyeing mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention;

' Fig. 2 is a View in side elevation of the mechanism for operating the forming tools;

Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the forming tools and a portion of. their operating mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a plan view, partly in section, of the die and forming tools;

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, of the die and forming tools showing a partially completed blank in the die, and

Fig. '7 is a side view of a blank having a completed eye thereon.

The illustrated machine is adapted to form eyes in fishhook blanks, for example, such as an eye 6 in blank 22 illustrated in Fig. '7.

The machine comprises a frame l0 (Fig. l) carrying a circular stationary platform l2, about Which is mounted a turret I4 arranged for intermittent movement about the axis of the platform and carrying a plurality of chucks iii, best shown in Fig, 4. Each of the chucks has a stationary jaw is and a movable jaw 23, normally operative to engage a fishhook blank, such as blank 22, and to grip it between the jaws in a horizontal position extending in a direction radially of the turret. The turret is arranged to be advanced intermittently successively to present the chucks with blanks held therein to various operating instrumentalities grouped about the turret. Only one station and operating instrumentality is shown in Fig. 1, that being the eyeing station indicated by reference character 24. For a more complete description of the construction and operation of the mechanism thus far described, reference may be had to the aforementioned patent.

The eyeing mechanism comprises a biock 26 (Fig. l) carried upon the platform l2, and supporting a die 28 and three forming tools 30, 32 and 34. The die 28 comprises an elongated block extending radially of the turret, and havin an upper face 36 in a horizontal plane adjacent to the path of movement of the chucks and at such level as to be adapted to receive upon its upper face a blank. held by a chuck located in operative relation to the eyeing mechanism. The face of the die is provided with a recess somewhat wider than the outside diameter of an eye to be formed, and is adapted to receive a portion of the free end of the blank during the formation \A of the eye.

In order to maintain the blank in a stationary position during operation of the forming tools, there is provided a holddown it-l. in the form of a plunger mounted for movement heightwise of the block 26 in a guideway 42. The under surface of the plunger is grooved, as shown at M, to receive the upper portion of the blank 22 when the holddown is in its lowermost position, thus to prevent lateral movement of the blank as the holddown clamps it against the upper face of the die. When in clamped position the free end of the blank extends across and somewhat beyond the recess 33.

The first forming operation consists in forcing a portion of the free end of the blank into the recess 38 to form a loop. This is by the forming tool 30 comprising a stud 46 extending laterally from the lower end of a tool carrier 48, 'slidably mounted in the block 26. The stud is positioned in vertical alinement with the central portion of the recess. Movement of the carrier in a downward direction causes the stud to force a portion of the free end of the blank into the recess forming a loop with the extreme end portion of the blank extending upwardly over the inner edge of the recess at an angle of about as shown at 50 in Fig. 6 The forward edge of the recess is curved to form a rounded shoulder 52 in order to prevent sharp bending ofthe blank adjacent to the eye to be formed, thus reducing strain on the material .of the blank.

The second forming tool 32 is in the form of a slide mounted for movement radially of the turret and having along one side and bottom an elongated recess 54 extending in a vertical plane, the

- relieve thepressure of the'forming tool 530 upon height of the upper wall 55 of the recess above the anvil being approximately one-half of the outside diameter of the eye to beproduced. Upon movement of the second forming tool outwardly toward the blank, the forward edge portion of the tool and the wall 55 of the recess engage .the v extreme end of the blank and bend it around'the stud, until it is substantially parallel to the shank portion of the blank, thus shaping the outer end of the eye.

The third forming tool 34 comprises a plunger 56 mounted for movement heightwise of the block 26 in a guideway 58. The plunger is provided along one side and bottom With a vertically extending semi-cylindrical recess 60, the radius of curvature of which is slightly greater than the radius of the eye to be formed. Extending from the recess 60 in a direction radially of the turret is a recess 62 rectangular in cross section to receive the shank of the blank. When the plunger 56 is depressed, the upper wall of the recess 60 engages the bent-over portion of the end of the blank, bending it until it is positioned close to the body portion of the blank as shown at I24 in Fig. 7.

The tool 30 is normally urged in an upward direction by a leaf spring 54 (Fig. 2) which engages ,the underside of a short lateral arm 55 on the tool. The spring urges the tool into engagement with a pin 68 carried by a lever 10 mounted upon a pivot 12 (Fig. 1) on the frame and arranged to be oscillated by means of a cam 14 on a drive shaft 16 the cam being in engagement with a roll 18 carried by the outer end of the lever. The timing of the cam 14 is such that the lever 10 operates to force the tool downwardly after a blank has been clamped to the die by means of the holddown .40. The holddown itself is operated by means of a similar lever 80 and cam (not shown) operable to force the holddown toward the die against the force of a spring 82.

The tool 32 is arranged to move inwardly in timed relation to operation of the tool 30 by means of a cam-controlled lever 84 (Fig. 1), pivotally secured to a plate 86 mounted at 88 upon the platform [2 and having a link 90 arranged to engage a pin 92 upon aislide 94 connected to the tool 32. The tool 32 is moved inwardly by the mechanism just described immediately after the tool 30 has forced the end portion .of a blank into the recess 30, and operates to bend the extreme end portion of the blank partly around the stud 45, after which, the tool is retracted into inoperative position.

The tool 3 is normally urged upwardly by means of a spring 98 (Fig. 2) engaging theunder: side of ashort, arm J00 extending laterally from the upper end of the tool. The toolis moved in a downwarddirection by means of a pin I02 car-- ried by a lever I04 (Fig. 1) mountedupon the pivot .12 and having a roll H36 engaged by a cam I08 upon the drive shaft 16. The timing of the cam is suchthat the tool 34 is moved downwardly to complete theformation of an eye immediately after the tool32 has been retracted. The cam subsequently permits the spring 98 to force the toolupwardly into inoperative position.

In order to facilitate removal of the eyed blank the blank prior to moving the blank offthe stud. To this end, there is provided a latching mechanism comprising an arm H0 (Figs. 2 and 3) mounted upon a pivot H2 carried by the frame andhaving a latch, I ll normally arranged to extend intoposition above the arm 66 of the tool 30.

Thelatch arm I I0 is normally held in the posi. 'tion, just indicated, by a leaf spring H4 secured -to'the frame at: ll l6. The upper portion of the latch arm has a beveled nose portion ll8 normally extending in alinement with a beveled block I secured to one side of the lever arm 10. The operation-of the cam 14 is such that, when the eye is completed, the cam causes 'th'e lever 10 to move upwardly, and the arm 66' under the force of the spring 64, also moves upwardly by a slight distance, until the arm engages the latch l I I temporarily to limit upward movement of the tool 30. This effects'a release of pressure-of the stud 46 upon the blank, so that the blank can be moved laterally off 'the'stu'd upon movement of the turret in moving the chuck l6 and the blank'away from the operating station; Subsequently to removal of the blank from the stud,"the cam M causes the lever lfito move upwardly until the block I20 engagesthebeveled nose portion H8, effecting movement of the latch arm H0 outwardly, as shown in dash lines in Fig. 2,thus

, releasing the latch HI and permitting the tool 30 to move into inoperative position.

In the operation of the machine, blanks, such as wire blank 22 h'eld'in-the chuck l5, are moved intoposition with a blank located upon the upper surface of the'die 3B, and the holddown 40 is operated to clamp the blank upon the die with the free end of the blank extending across the recess 38. The tool 39 is then depressed to cause the stud 46 to force the free end portion of the blank partly into the recess 38 and the forming tool 32 is moved, along the upper surface of the die to bend the 'end portion *ofthe blank partly about the stud, after which the tool isretracted. The tool 3 5 is then'depressed to engage the extreme end. portion of the blank bending it about the stud 'to complete the eye, after which the tool '34 is retracted. During the two last mentioned operations upon the blank, the forming tool 30 is retained in stationary position. However, after completion of the formation of the eye upon the blank, the lever 'Hlfor controlling the position of the tool is 'raised, permitting the tool to relieve its pressure upon the blank, upward movement of the tool being limited by the latch H I. The .turret is then operated to move the chuck and. the eyed blank transversely of ,the

tool 30 to remove the blank from the stud 46.- Upon further movement of the lever l0upwardly' the latch i ii is tripped, releasingthe tool 30.for movementinto position for operation'uponthe next blank. s

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure'by LettersPatent of the United States is:

l. A fishhook'making machine comprising a die having a flat upper surface and being provided with a recess in the surface, means for locating a fishhook blank in position with the blank extending alon the surface and across the recess, a forming tool comprising a plunger and a stud projecting laterally from the plunger, means for moving the stud into the recess in the 'die thereby to force a portion of the blank into the recess to form a loop, a second forming tool comprising a slide having a recess extending substantially in a vertical plane and terminating in a horizontal face, means for moving the second forming tool transversely of the stud across the recess in the die thereby to bend the end of the loop partly about the stud, means for retracting the second forming tool, a third forming tool comprising a plunger having a semicircular recess in the lower portion thereof, means for moving the third forming tool toward the stud thereby to force the end portion of the blank toward the body portion thereof to complete an eye, means for retracting the third forming tool, means for partly raising the stud to release the pressure of the first forming tool upon the blank, and means for moving the blank in a direction to remove the eye from the stud.

2. A machine for eyeing fishhook blanks comprising a stationary die havin a flat upper face, there being a recess in the surface of a width somewhat greater than the length of the eye to be formed, means for positioning a fishhook blank along the surface with an end portion thereof extending across the recess, a forming tool comprising a plunger, a laterally extending stud on the plunger in vertical alinement with the central part of the recess, means for moving the plunger toward the die to move the stud into the recess thereby to force the outer end portion of the blank into the recess, a second forming tool comprising a slide having a recess therein extending in a vertical plane in alinement with the plane of movement of the stud, means for moving the slide along the face of the die to bend the outer end portion of the blank partly around the stud, means to retract the second forming tool, a third forming tool comprising a plunger and having a semicircular recess extending in a vertical plane in alinement with the stud, means for moving the third-mentioned forming tool downwardly to complete the formation of the eye, and means for removing the blank from the stud.

3. A machine for forming eyes in fishhook blanks comprising a die having a recess therein, a stud mounted for movement heightwise of the recess and projectin in a transverse direction across the central portion of the recess, means for moving the stud into the recess to force into the recess a portion of a blank located upon the die, a tool movable transversely across the face of the die to bend an end portion of the blank partly about the stud, and a tool movable heightwise of the die for forcing the free end of the bent portion of the blank toward the main body portion thereof to complete the eye.

4. A machine for eyeing fishhook blanks comprising a blank holder, a die having a blank supporting surface, there being a recess in the surface wider than the eye to be formed in the blank, means for clamping a blank upon the die with a free end thereof extending across the recess, a tool comprising a carriar mounted for movement heightwise of the die and a stud projecting laterally from the carrier in vertical alinement with the recess, means for moving the carrier toward the die to force a portion of the blank into the recess, a tool for bending the free end of the blank partly about the stud to form the end of the eye, and a separate tool for bending the extreme end of the blank toward the shank thereof to complete the eye.

5. A machine for forming eyes in fishhook blanks comprising a die having a recess in the face thereof, means for positioning a fishhook blank upon the die with an end portion of the blank extending across the recess, means for forcing a portion of the blank into the die to form a loop, the last-mentioned means comprising a stud movable heightwise of the die and positioned in alinement with the central portion of the recess, means for bending the free end of the formed loop partly about the stud, and means for forcing the extreme end portion of the loop into position adjacent the body portion of the blank to complete the eye.

6. A machine for forming eyes in fishhook blanks comprising a die having a recess in the face thereof, means for positioning a fishhook blank upon the die with an end portion of the blank extending across the recess, means for forcing the blank into the recess in the die to form a loop, the last-mentioned means comprising a stud movable heightwise of the die and positioned in alinement with the central portion of the recess, means for bending the free end of the formed loop partly about the stud, means for forcing the extreme end portion of the loop into position adjacent the body portion of the blank to complete the eye, means for partially releasing the pressure of the stud upon the blank, and means subsequently operable for removing the blank from the die and stud.

'7. A machine for eyeing fishhook blanks comprising a die having a blank supporting surface, there being a recess in the surface wider than the eye to be formed therein, means for positioning a blank upon the die with a free end thereof extending across the recess, a tool comprising a plunger mounted for movement heightwise of the die and a stud projecting laterally from the plunger in vertical alinement with the recess, means for moving the plunger toward the die to cause the stud to force a portion of the blank into the recess, a tool comprising a slide movable across the supporting surface of the die and having a portion for engaging the free end of the blank located at a distance of approximately half the diameter of the blank above the surface, means for moving the slide across the recess to bend the free end of the blank about the stud, and means for bending the extreme end of the blank toward the body portion thereof to complete the eye.

8. A machine for eyeing fishhook blanks comprising a die having a blank supporting surface, there being a recess in the surface wider than the eye to be formed in the blank, a forming tool comprising a stud movable heightwise of the die toward the recess to force a portion of the blank into the recess, means movable across the surface REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,526,716 Neunherz Feb. 1'7, 1925 2,393,364 Goldfield et a1 Jan. 22, 1946 

